Over the past five years, Ben Bedford‘s fan base has widened greatly and the folk music performer who calls Springfield home says his growing acclaim has made him more confident as he continues telling unique stories through song.

Bedford’s third album, What We Lost is out this fall, and between tour gigs he stopped by the WUIS studio to talk with Peter Gray about coming home, using songwriting to connect with his family’s past and what his fans in Europe have to say about the American folk tradition: